My code is not executing

Hi @fabx77,

Thanks for reaching out! I had a look at your message, and from what you’ve shared, it doesn’t look like the issue is directly related to the Code Snippets plugin itself. The plugin’s job is to safely run your PHP code, but it can’t fix or debug the code logic itself — that part still works just like it would in your theme’s functions.php file.

That said, I’d love to help you get things working! Here are a few things to check:

1. Where is your snippet set to run?
Make sure your snippet is set to run in the right context. If it’s meant to run on the front end, choose “Only run on site front-end” or “Run everywhere” when creating the snippet.

2. Are you using the right hooks?
If your code depends on WordPress loading certain things (like ACF fields), you might need to wrap it in an action hook like:
add_action( 'wp', function() { // your code here });

3. Debugging output
– echo and var_dump won’t show anything if the code runs before the page output starts or in the wrong context.
– error_log() should work if WP_DEBUG and WP_DEBUG_LOG are both set to true in your wp-config.php. Make sure you’re checking the right debug.log file (usually in wp-content).

Let us know if this helps!

Hi @fabx77,

Thank you for the detailed explanation and code sample.

From what you’ve described, this doesn’t indicate an issue with the Code Snippets plugin itself. When a snippet is active, our plugin loads it the same way WordPress loads code from a theme’s functions.php file. However, defining a function does not automatically execute it.

In your example, you are defining:

function set_expiry_date( $post_id ) {

But this function will only run if it is attached to a WordPress hook (for example save_post) or called somewhere else in your code. If it is not hooked or called, it will never execute — which would explain why:

• var_dump() shows nothing
• echo shows nothing
• error_log() does not write anything
• Variable Inspector does not display anything

Additionally, please make sure:

• You are using straight quotes (') and not curly/smart quotes (‘ ’), as those will break PHP execution.
• The snippet does not contain malformed comments.
• The function is properly attached to the correct WordPress or ACF hook so that $post_id is actually available when it runs.

Since Code Snippets only executes the PHP code safely but does not alter how WordPress hooks or ACF logic works, the behavior you’re seeing is consistent with the function simply not being triggered.

To quickly confirm that Code Snippets is executing properly, please try this php test snippet:

add_action( 'init', function () {
error_log( 'Code Snippets test: snippet executed successfully.' );
} );

How to test it:

1. Add this as a new snippet.
2. Set it to Run everywhere.
3. Visit any page of your site.
4. Check your wp-content/debug.log file (or your server’s PHP error log).

If you see this line in the log: “Code Snippets test: snippet executed successfully.”

If you’re experiencing an issue specifically with the snippet not saving or activating properly, please let us know which plugin version you’re using and we’ll be happy to investigate further.

Let us know if this helps.